I'm okay with other people's emotions. I'm happy to listen, happy to give advice where I can. I feel embarrassed showing my own, feel weak, feel like I'm dragging other people down. That's a bit of a problem, isn't it? I'm on a train to Edinburgh now, this itself pretty astonishing because two years ago …
Keeping at it
I go into every year optimistic about the same thing: this will be the year when I stick to using my daily planner. And every year I do slightly better before I inevitably forget about it. This might be a new record: beginning of January through the week of April 25th to May 1st. It's …
Three years in, y’all
I did it. Tiff’s decision to put me on at Old Rope came four weeks before the gig itself. Those four weeks were spent following my normal routine of attending the comedy night, with the underlying terror of knowing that soon that'd be me. It was to be my forty-fourth gig, and it felt like …
Brushes with fame
I have become one of the worst people with whom to watch panel shows, continually getting really excited and pointing out the people I know, then biting my tongue to stop myself. Yes, hello, did you realise I’ve met or know or am friends with a lot of comedians? Yeah, it’s fine. No big deal. …
What Do You See In The Mirror?
One of the best places in my world, and one I don’t visit anywhere near often enough, is the Wellcome Collection Reading Room. It’s a peaceful, soothing place with sections of plush carpeting, lots of interesting relics to look at, and, most importantly, cushion-lined stairs. It’s a dream. It’s nice to have a place to …
Alive n’ gigging
Oh, hi! I'm alive!! (I mean, I hope you didn't assume I was dead because I haven't written in this blog for five months, but... I have perhaps at a point in my not-so-distant past jumped to similarly insane conclusions. Or, in any case, really enjoyed insisting that I had. And that's all I'll say …
Alllllll of the things
Hello! What's new with you, lovely friend, family member or casual fan (nope) reading this blog post? Not much over here! Well. Except. Since my last post... I've done about twelve more standup sets, including one this very eve (it was good)! I got my nose pierced! I left that part time job at the …
Phone-bloggin’ (or: comedy! visits! amazing things!!)
This is my attempt at writing a blog post without a computer. It is without a computer because my computer is broken. I am writing this post on my phone. Hi. "What's going on with you, Leslie?" you ask. "Your hair is disheveled and differently coloured and quite clearly overprocessed." (Yes. These are your concerns …
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Hello 2015, this is who I am
Here's a strong start to a blog post: I need to teach myself that I'm a valid human being. And how are you? It's been an odd time for my brain. Things have mostly been so good. I don't know. Last year (last year! It's 2015, guys!) was simultaneously amazing and mindblowing, and socially lonely. It's …
Getting away, taking the plunge
So imagine me, the day when I had that tiny, important epiphany, walking down Kentish Town Road with the sun beaming down on my bare shoulders, feeling happy and like I should be kinder to myself. Imagine my thoughts drifting to the impending Edinburgh Festival Fringe for which, comedy aficionado I am, I'd witnessed so much preparation. And …
Leslie Ewing-Burgesse* 